Realtors and residents debate Richmond’s eminent domain plan

Last Night’s gathering at the Police Activities League was pegged as a “debate” on the pros and cons of the city’s plan to buy or seize 624 underwater mortgages.

But only the opponents’ spokesman showed up. Nevertheless, even though he had the field to himself, Realtor Jeff Wright faced a tough audience.

“It’s not the city’s place to interfere in an agreement between a borrower and a lender,” Wright said. “You can’t blame the banks for having a product and selling it.”

Wright is a representative for the Western Contra Costa Association of Realtors (WCCAR). In recent weeks, the WCCAR has blanketed the city with flyers criticizing the city’s eminent domain plan. The association’s campaign is being funded, in part, by more than $70,000 from the California Association of Realtors and the National Associations of Realtors.